Thus far, as a medical observation system for, when performing an operation of a minute part of the brain, the heart, etc. of a patient that is an object to be observed, observing the minute part, an optical microscope system including a magnification optical system that magnifies the minute part has been known (e.g. see Patent Literature 1). When performing an operation using the microscope system, an operator such as a medical doctor (the user) performs the operation while observing the surgical site via an eyepiece.
FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a situation in which an operator performs an operation using a conventional optical microscope system. As shown in FIG. 10, an operator 401 performs an operation while observing the surgical site of a patient 402 via an eyepiece 502 of a microscope unit 501. Hence, when the operation time is increased, the burden on the eye of the operator 401 is increased, and also the burden on the body of the operator 401 due to maintaining the same posture is increased.
As a technology to solve such a problem of the optical microscope system, a video microscope system including an imaging means that images a minute part such as a surgical site is known (e.g. see Patent Literature 2). FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a situation in which an operation is performed using a conventional video microscope system. As shown in FIG. 11, an operator 401 performs an operation while observing, with a monitor 602, an image of the surgical site of a patient 402 captured by an imaging unit 601. By such a video microscope system, the burden on the eye and body of the operator in a long-time operation can be greatly reduced as compared to the case of the optical microscope system.